Inevitable
by Hazel Martinez
Summary: Beck Oliver is a wealthy aristocrat making plans against a poverty-stricken territory. Jade West is the best assassin that territory knows. And she is hired to murder Beck... AU. Set in a post-apocalyptic world where America is divided into two territories. Cover credit to LesIdeesNaufragees on DeviantART.
1. The Mission

A gentle _clipclopclipclopclipclop _echoed in Jade's ears as she rode through the bright streets of Divinus. Although it was nighttime, bright city lights were coming from every direction, blinding her unadjusted Rustican eyes.

She was in a gentle trot, in no hurry to get back to her boss. The mission had been a complete success and nobody would be giving her trouble. Even with the finest detectives Divinus could buy, nobody—_nobody_—would ever discover the truth.

She had killed him. He was a brilliant Divinus leader and she had taken him out. Why?

Simple. She had been told to. It was her mission to serve Rusticus, and when she was told to do something, she got the job done with no questions asked.

As the lights of Divinus gradually faded, Jade picked up the pace. Even her dark thoroughbred was nervous.

Rusticus was… a bad neighborhood, to say the least. Okay, technically it wasn't a _neighborhood_, in fact it was everything east of the Mississippi River. But it was full of desperate radicals, murderers, and criminals.

Not a good place to be at one o'clock in the morning.

So, as Jade sped through the dark cities, and the haunted alleyways, she dreamed of Divinus.

Divinus was the exact opposite of Rusticus—wealthy. It had good doctors, fine houses, and _safety. _The people there were generally well-mannered, unlike the desperados of Rusticus. Except for their incredible greed. _The people of Divinus like money._ Whoever has the most money is the most important. Money is everything to Divinans.

Sharing money with poor unfortunate Rusticans?

Yeah. Right.

Imagine them, the fine, well-mannered and _greedy_ Divinans giving even a cent to those unruly Rusticans.

But back to Jade.

She approached the modest old building still moving rather briskly. The Rustican government was a common target for attacks, as people have the tendency to blame.

Jade dismounted, tied Quarter, the horse, to the fencepost carefully. He was technically government property, and she couldn't afford to lose him.

She only relaxed once she was welcomed by the warm building. Fresh air filled her lungs as she went to see her boss to report her latest success.

"Ah, Jade. How did it go?"

Fortunately, her boss was not a criminal Rustican, but a rather polite, business-like government agent who thought of her as Rusticus's most valuable asset.

"I killed the man."

Despite this, he had no trouble sending her on illegal murder missions to make a statement against Divinus.

"As I expected you would. The world's most spectacular assassin never fails. But no time for flattery. This mission is quite important."

"I am ready to do whatever it takes, Sir."

"Good. Tension has been rising between Rusticus and Divinus for years. It's simple: we just hate each other. Everything about each other. War is inevitable. And since Rusticus has the money, they will have the weaponry. But we have you."

"What am I supposed to do, sir?"

"There is a man. He is very suspicious and we have tracked various accounts of his for some time now. He is ordering materials to make extreme weaponry. We assume that it is going to be used against Rusticus once the war begins."

"My mission?"

"Kill him," Jade's boss said simply. "His name is Beck Oliver: 143 Nile Road, Holiday, Divinus. Take your time. He's looking to hire a new cook for his home, so take the job. Earn his trust. Unless war breaks out between the territories, you are not to hurry this one. Security's tight at his house. He designed most of the systems himself."

"Not a problem."

**Okay, that's the first chapter of my new story. In case you didn't catch on, Jade lives in Rusticus, the poor, desperate, uncivilized territory. Beck lives in Divinus, the wealthy, well-mannered, greedy territory. **

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	2. The Disturbance

**To everyone who reviewed, thank you! To anonymous who asked if the chapters would get longer, yes, they will. **

Beck hurried up the stairs. He sensed… something.

Something bad. Very bad.

It was odd. Whenever something threatened his work, he knew it. It was as if it was his destiny to complete his plan.

The Plan.

His life's work. Beck had been planning it since he was a young boy, living in his parent's small Rustican cabin.

Yes, he had once been Rustican. Growing up in such conditions made him hate Divinus, but when his uncle died and left him a fortune, he moved to Divinus and learned to hate Rusticus.

You could say that he got the worst of both worlds. Or the best, depending on if you're an optimist or a pessimist. He saw it as the worst.

Much as Beck had a talent for telling when the Plan was in trouble, his butler, David, could tell when Beck was in trouble. It seemed to be David's destiny to serve Beck.

"Is there a problem, Sir?" David asked, sounding concerned. He was butler to the bone—standing upright, dressed in a fine suit, carrying a tray, and ready to assist Beck with anything and everything. "I heard you pacing upstairs."

"No, no, David," Beck lied. "I am fine. Dismissed."

"Thank you, Mr. Oliver. Call me if you need anything."

"I shall." Another lie. Beck could trust no one with the Plan, although he desperately needed help. There were parts that he couldn't acquire, flaws that he could not wrap his head around. And there always seemed to be some sort of disturbance. In this case, there was no doubt in Beck's mind: someone knew about the Plan.

Once David was out of sight, Beck rushed to the window. He lived in a fine home in the Rocky Mountains. It was built right into the mountainside, with an elegant balcony and a pool that overlooked the city below. He had come to think of Divinus as his home, though the hatred for it from his Rustican childhood still lived inside him.

Peering out over Nile road and the rest of the city, Beck could see nothing. The disturbance had not yet arrived. But he was sure that it was on its way. He was never wrong about these things, it had to be. 

Beck had been tense for weeks. The disturbance hadn't come yet. How long before it came? What would it do? Would it succeed?

He wished desperately that it would just come, so these questions could be answered and he could dispose of it as soon as possible. The longer it waited, the more frightened Beck became. It was like a horror movie, when the monster or murderer was just lurking for so long while music kept you in agonizing suspense, because you just know that that poor victim is going to be killed.

Of course, with Beck anxious, David would not leave him alone, so Beck had to abandon the Plan until the disturbance arrived. He spent countless hours in his bedroom, staring out the window. Waiting. Watching.

Soon he began to wonder if he was just paranoid. The Plan was everything to him, and anyone would get a bit carried away protecting it.

But then, he had a worse thought. What if he was insane? How many people 'just sense these things' after all?

And almost immediately after, he got another, _even worse_ thought. What if the disturbance had already struck and his Plan was already ruined? What if the disturbance had told somebody, like the authorities, and he was going to be arrested for interfering with the two territories? If the Plan was ruined because of his carelessness, he would never forgive himself. The Plan was _his_ responsibility and if it was destroyed, ruined, discovered, or not completed in time…

Beck's thoughts were interrupted by a strong instinct—The disturbance was near. He ran to is window to find the disturbance—a black-haired woman on horseback— and immediately discovered why it had taken so long. The disturbance was Rustican. He had been alerted when it planned to interfere, but it had ridden on horseback all the way from Rusticus to his city in southern Divinus, an area called Holiday. Holiday was at least a few week's ride from the Rustican border.

He laughed, relieved. This poor Rustican would not be able to interfere. It was a pathetic attempt. Relaxed, he leaned against the windowsill. Looking closer, he found that the Rustican was not just on a horse, but a nice black thoroughbred. He also spotted a gun in tucked into her belt. Such a fine horse combined with a gun would have cost a lot of money, and Rusticans simply do not have lots of money. But the Rustican government can supply such a horse and they do have ample weaponry.

Beck felt panic rise in his chest.

No. He mustn't panic. So she was a government agent or an assassin? No problem. He knew that she was there and that she meant him harm, so he could easily keep one step ahead if he kept his guard up.

In fact, he would hire her. He needed a new cook anyway, and if he kept his enemy close, he could easily kill her before she killed him. As far as he was concerned, it was just killing two birds with one stone.

He would protect the Plan at all costs.

**Okay, so that's that. **

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	3. The Interview

Beck sat on the sofa next to David. He was waiting very patiently for the disturbance to arrive. She was not going to pass up getting access to the house, and even access to his stomach. Too easy to poison. She was sure to come and she was to get the job no matter what.

"Well, thank you for your time." With a smile, the interviewee grabbed her jacket and walked out.

"She seemed nice. What was her name again?" David asked, then answered himself. "Marlene Fox. I think you should hire her."

"Possibly. We'll interview a few more, then decide," Beck said calmly.

"But sir! You've been saying that for the past few days! Just hire a cook already!"

"I want one who is exceptional."

"You tasted her food!" David argued. "Did you not think it was exceptional?"

"No, it was fine."

"It was a meal fit for a king!"

"Perhaps someone else can do better. Just bring in the next one."

"Fine," David growled. "Her name is Jade West." He left the room, then returned a few moments later with the disturbance.

So Jade West was her name. He tried to act nonchalant. "So, Jade, is it?"

"Yes," she said flatly. Up close, she seemed even more lethal. She was completely deadpan, with accusing eyes and a sort of naturally angry face.

"Where are you from?"

"Pine Needle, Divinus."

"Very well," Beck said simply, and wrote it down. He wanted to know everything about this disturbance—every weakness and every strength—so he could outsmart her.

"Um, may I see you for a moment?" David whispered through gritted teeth.

"Fine, but make it quick. Excuse us, Miss West," Beck said politely. You know, trying to act as though he wasn't planning to kill her.

David pulled Beck into the hallway. "Are you mad? You simply cannot hire a Rustican chef. They will make Rustican meals and bring their reckless, Rustican lifestyle into your home! Not to mention their ridiculous obsession with naming cities after plants! Who names a city Pine Needle, anyway?"

"Have you forgotten that I lived my entire childhood in Rusticus? I find their ways refreshing," Beck lied.

"With all due respect, sir, nobody finds cold-blooded murder refreshing."

"I didn't mean the murder part. Come. We will continue with the interview and you will not say another word."

"Fine."

Beck led David back into the room where Jade was sitting, observing the house carefully. (Probably looking for any flaws in the security system.)

"We are back, Miss West," Beck announced. "Where were we? Oh, right Pine Needle, Rusticus. A fine area if I do say so myself."

"I would have to disagree," Jade said truthfully. "But go on."

"I would like you to prepare me a simple meal—meatloaf. It's one of my favorites. The ingredients are in the kitchen, but there is no cookbook."

"Not a problem."

Beck discovered that she was actually a very talented chef, and even if she was not looking to interfere, he probably would have hired her.


End file.
